Internal-combustion engine.



C. S. REINHART. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

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INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1912.

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lmanac-ago CHARLES S. REINHART, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, jl db.

Application filed nine 26, 1912. Serial No. 705,934.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, CHARLES S. REINHART, a citizen-of the United States of America, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to engines in which the. combustible charge is compressed prior to being delivered to the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder.

An object of this invention is to produce an engine of improved construction and one which is more efficient and effective in operation than engines now known to me.

A further object is to produce an engine having no valves and one in which the necessity of inclosing the crank case, for the purpose of providing the preliminary compression of the charge, is eliminated.

These and other objects, which will be set forth in the further description of my invention, are attained by means of an engine embodying the features herein illustrated and described.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to Fig. 1. but showing the operating parts in positions advanced beyond the positions illustrated in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are each fragmental sectional views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2, and with those figures illustrate diflerent positions occupied by the operating parts during one cycle of the engine. Fig. 7 is a sectional view, taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and illustrates the means employed for aidnyig in scavenging the compression chamber 0 the engine.

The engine illustrated is provided with an engine piston 7, so located within the cylinder 8 that it divides the cylinder into a combustion chamber 9located between the cylinder head and the pistonand a. compressing chamber 10, which is located between the piston and an auxiliary or compression piston 11, and is inclosed by a. flange or skirt 7, with which the piston 7 is provided. The compression piston 11 cooperates with the engine piston 7 in compressing the combustible charge prior to its introduction into the combustion chamber 9. The engine piston 7 is so constructed .that it operates to cover and uncover the inlet and exhaust ports communicating with the combustion chamber 9 and the admission and delivery ports communicating with the compression chamber. The compression piston is so arranged that it moves with the engine piston during the periods that the ports in the cylinder are in open communication with the combustion chamber and also during the periods that the fuel admission ports are in open communication with the compression chamber. This is for the purpose of preventing the charge of fuel from being sucked back, through the by pass, from the combustion chamber after it has been delivered thereto; and also of preventing a portion of the combustible charge from being blown out of the compression chamber through the inlet port, at the beginning of the compression stroke.

The engine illustrated is also provided with a sleeve valve 12, which surrounds the engine piston 7, and is located between it and the cylindrical wall of the cylinder 8, and Which cooperates with the piston in opening and closing the ports in the cylin-' der. It is to be understood, however, that certain features of my invention may be, and under some conditions, are, preferably employed independently of, and without the sleeve valve 12. It is also to be understood that, while ll have illustrated and described a two cycle engine, my invention is in no wise limited to such engines and may be employed with engines operating upon other cycles.

Referring more particularly to the details of construction. The engine cylinder 8 is somewhat longer than cylinders ordinarily employed in internal combustion engines and is open at the crank shaft end. In the engine illustrated the cylinder is located in a vertical position over the engine shaft 13, so that its open end is adjacent to the shaft. As illustrated, the cylinder is supported by means of struts 14: on the bed plate 15, which is shown provided with a depression, forming an oil pan for the engine. The upper or combustion end of the cylinder is shown provided with an integrally formed head and is preferably provided with a water jacket and may also beprovided with a spark plug 16 or other means for igniting 11d the charge after it is compressed. A port 17 is provided in the cylindrical wall of the cylinder and is adapted to admit the combustible charge to the compression chamber 10. An exhaust port 18 is also provided in the cylinder and is adapted to form a means of exhaust for the combustion chamber 9, when it is uncovered by the piston 7. A by-pass 19 is also provided in the cylindrical wall of the cylinder 8, which extends around the piston 7 when the piston is in its lowest position, and thereby forms a means of communication between the combustion chamber 9 and the compression chamber 10, and delivers the compressed charge from the compression chamber into the combustion chamber. The by-pass is so positioned that the delivery of the compressed charge into the combustion chamber takes place during the period that the exhaust port 17 is open, and the charge therefore aids in expelling the products of combustion from the cylinder.

The flange or skirt 7 of the piston 7 is relatively long, extends toward the open end of the. cylinder, and surrounds the auxiliary or compression piston 11. The skirt 7 is provided with a port 22, which is adapted to move into alinement with the port 17, during the operation of the engine, and to thereby establish communication between the compression chamber 10 and the source of supply of the combustible charge. A port 23 is also provided in the skirt and is adapted to move into alinement with the lower end of the by-pass 19, when the upper end of the by-pass is uncovered by the piston 7. The skirt is also provided with a port 21, which is adapted to move into alinement with a port 24 formed in the cylindrical wall of the cylinder 8, and also into alinement with the lower end of an inclined passage 25, formed in the auxiliary piston 11, and which will hereinafter be described. The lower end of the skirt 7' is shown as provided with lugs on which a pin 26 is mounted, and which, in effect, forms the cross-head pin of the engine. The connecting rod 27 of the engine may be secured. to the pin 26 and to the crank pin 28 in any suitable manner.

As illustrated, the auxiliary piston 11 is actuated by means of two cams 29 and 31, through the agency of a cam cage or housing 32 and rods 33. The rods are adjustably secured to the piston 11, and to the housing 32 and their lower ends project into suitably bored lugs 30 which are formed on the bed plate 15 for the purpose of holding the housing in the proper position relatively to the cams and in alinement with the engine cylinder 8.

In the engine illustrated the sleeve valve '12 is employed for the purpose of hastening the operatlons of opening and closing the ports 1n the'cyhnder 8, and its operating mechanism is so timed that it moves in a direction opposite to the motion of the piston 7 during each operation of opening or closing a port. The sleeve valve is provided with a port 34, which is adapted to control communication between the ports 17 and 22 and is moved into register with both of them during the period that combustible mixture is delivered into the chamber 10, which, in the engine illustrated, is at the beginning of the working or firing stroke of the piston 7. The port 34 also cooperates with the port 18 in controlling the discharge of the burnt gases from the combustion chamber. Ports 35 and 36 are also provided in the sleeve valve and are adapted to cooperate with the by-pass 19 and the piston 7 in controlling the delivery of mixture from the compression chamber into the combustion chamber. The port 35 is adapted to be moved into register with the upper end of the by-pass at the same time that the port 36 is moved into register with the lower end. This is accomplished at, or about, the same time that the port 23 moves into alinement with the lower end of the by-pass, and the upper end of the by-pass is uncovered by the piston 7. The sleeve is also provided with a port 37, which is adapted to move into register with the lower end of the inclined passage 25 and with the ports 21 and 24, and to thereby permit air to be delivered into the compression chamher.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Ignition takes place when the parts occupy the positions illustrated in Fig. 1; that is, when the engine piston 7 has reachedthe upper limit of its stroke. During the combustion of the gases in the chamber 9 the sleeve valve 12 and skirt 7 cooperate in closing the by-pass 19 and the exhaust 18.

The ports 22, 34 and 17, located respectively M in the skirt, the sleeve valve and the'cylinder, are in register with each other while the engine piston is in its uppermost position and a combustible charge is introduced into the chamber 10, as will hereinafter be more fully'described. As the piston 7 moves down, after having reached its highest position, the cam 29 operates to move the auxiliary piston 11 down with it until after the port 17 is closed. Under such conditions there is no change in the volume of the chamber 10 until after the port 34 is closed, and consequently there is no tendency for a portion of the charge to be expelled from the chamber back through the port 17. During this operation, the sleeve valve is moved upwardly by means of its operating gears 38 and 39, and the link 41, and consequently the port 34 is closed by the time the piston 7 has reached the position illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 also illustrates the auxiliary piston 11 in its lowest position, to which it has been moved by the cam 29. The cam 29 is so constructed that it is effective in operating the piston 11 while it is in engagement with a bar 42, which forms a part of the cam cage 32. The bar 42 is so formed that it cooperates with the cam 29 to hold the auxiliary piston in the lowest position while the cam 29, and consequently the crank shaft 13, turn through a comparatively large angle. This is accomplished by providing a curved face of the bar 42, the center of curvature of which is coincident with the center of rotation of the cam. As the cam 29 moves out of operative engagement with the bar 42, the cam 31 moves into engagement with a bar 43, which forms a part of the cam housing, and the piston 11 starts to rise and to aid the downwardly moving piston 7, in the compression of the charge contained in the chamber 10. In Fig. 4 the pistons 7 and 11 are shown in the positions they occupy at the beginning of the exhaust period. While the pistons are moving from the positions illustrated in Fig. 1, to the positions illustrated in Fig. 4, the sleeve valve moves upwardly from its lowest position and partially uncovers the exhaust port 18. In Fig. 4 the downwardly moving piston 7 has moved past the upper edge of the port 18, and since the piston and the valve are moving in opposite directions the opening of the port will be quickly accomplished and the port will be fully opened by the time the piston 7 has reached its lowest position, as illustrated in Fig. The ports 35 and 36 of the sleeve valve respectively start to uncover the upper and lower ends of the bypass 19, as the piston 7 moves downwardly into the position illustrated in Fig. 4, and the by-pass is fully opened when the piston 7 has reached its lowest position, and the port 23 is in alinement with the lower end of the by-pass. This places the compression chamber 10 in communication with the combustion chamber 9 and consequently permits the compressed charge to be blown into the engine cylinder.

Tn Fig. 6 the piston 7 is shown in the position it occupies just after it has started to move upwardly during the final compression stroke, and after the by-pass 19 and the exhaust port 18 have been closed by it, in conjunction with the sleeve valve 12. In Fig. 6 the auxiliary piston 11 is shown in its highest position, to which it moves while the piston 7 is moving from the position indicated in Fig 5 to the position indicated in Fig. 6: or, in other words, while the piston 7 moves upwardly from its lowest position, to the position in Which the ports communicating with the combustion chamber are closed. The cam 31 is so designed that the piston 11 moves upwardly to this position simultaneously with the piston 7, and therefore maintains the volume of the compression chamber 10 substantially constant, until after communication between it and the combustion chamber is shut off. This is for the purpose of preventing the compression chamber from sucking a portion of the charge back, through the by-pass 19, from the combustion chamber; and also for preventing exhaust gases from being sucked back through the exhaust port into the combustion chamber. As the auxiliary piston starts to move downwardly from the position illustrated in Fig. 6 the lower end of the inclined passage 25 moves into register with the port 21, in the skirt 7, and the port 37 in the sleeve valve 12 moves into register with the port 21 and also with the port 21. This admits a charge of air into the compression chamber 10, which is gradually increasing in size. The period that this port remains open is of short duration, and consequently the chargeof air, admitted \into the chamber is rarefied as the piston 7 continues to move upwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 1, and to compress the charge located in the chamber 9. The sleeve valve 12 moves downwardly during this upward motion of the piston 7, and finally moves its port 34 into register with the port 17, just as the port 22, of the skirt 7'. moves into alinement with the port 17. The fact that the sleeve valve and the piston 7 are moving in opposite directions at this time, causes the port 17 to open quickly and to permit the combustible charge to rush into the compression chamber with a decided puff, which is caused by the rarefication of the air in the chamber 10. This causes decided agitation of the charge as it enters the chamber and consequently insures a homogeneous combustible mixture. A portion of theair, which was previously admitted to the chamber, through the passage 25,is, however, compressed, due to the sudden inrush of combustible charge, and is forced into the upper end of the chamber. where it remains during the process of preliminary compression. This stratification results in part from the fact that the chamber is relatively long at the time of admission of the combustible charge, and it operat/es to produce a beneficial effect during the scavenging operation. since the air is blown' into the combustion chamber and partially scavenges it, prior to the time that the combustible mixture is blown in. This decreases the liability of the mixture being prematurely fired by coming into contact with burning gases.

The piston 7 is provided with a directing lug 45. which is so formed that it directs the compressed charge entering through the by-pass 19, upwardly toward the upper end of the chamber 9, and consequently renders the scavenging action more effective. In addition to this, the lug is so located with reference to the by-pass 19, and the turns in the by-pass are so proportioned that the incoming charge is not hampered or checked by the formation of eddy currents, and consequently rushes into the chamber 9 at a high velocity. I have also so formed the pistons 7 and 11 that the chamber 10 has no sharp corners in it at the time of discharg ing the combustible mixture.

Attention has already been called to the fact that my invention may be employed without the sleeve valve, if desired. It Will be apparent that the sleeve valve merely hastens the opening and closing of the ports and that the engine would in other respects operate 'as effectively with the sleeve valve omitted. Attention is also called to'the fact that the preliminary compression may be varied by varying the position of the auxiliary piston 11, and that various means may be employed for actuating the piston 11.

It is obvious that many variations and changes in the details of construction will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled 1n the art and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention; and that many of the elements shown and described may be omitted or used, either alone, or in association with other elements not shown or described. The invention, therefore, is not limited or restricted to the exact details of construction or arrangement shown and above set forth; but

Having set forth the object of this invention and a form of construction embodying the principles thereof and having described such construction, the function and mode of operation, what I claim as new and useful, and seek to be secured by Letters Patent is:

-1. An internal combustionengine comprising, a cylinder having an inlet port, a hollow engine piston located within the cylinder and having an inlet port adapted to cooperate with said cylinder inlet port in admitting a charge to said engine piston, and an auxiliary piston located within the engine piston and having an inlet port adapted to admit air between the engine piston and the charge.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a sleeve valve located within the cylinder, an engine piston located in the cylinder and surrounded by the sleeve valve, said cylinder. sleeve, and engine piston having ports communicating with the space above and below the engine piston when it and the sleeve are at the opposite limits of their motion. and an auxiliary piston located within the engine piston, adapted to cooperate with the engine plston in discharging fuel from between said pistons to the space above the engine piston when said engine piston and the sleeve are.at the opposite limits of their motion.

3. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having ports formed in its cylindrical wall, a piston located therein, dividing the cylinder' into a combustion and a compression chamber and having a ported flange for controlling the admission of charge to, and the delivery of charge from the compression chamber, and an auxiliary piston located within the compression end of the cylinder and having an air inlet passage formed therein, adapted to communicate with the atmosphere during portions of its stroke.

4. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, an engine piston operating therein and dividing the cylinder into a compression chamber below said piston and a combustion chamber above said piston, means for introducinga small charge of air into the compression chamber during a portion of the suction period thereof, means for enlarging said compression chamber to rarefy the charge of air so introduced and means for admitting a combustible charge into the chamber after the air is rarefied.

5. In combination in an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having fresh fuel inlet and burnt fuel exhaust ports formed therein, a piston located within the cylinder and having freshfuel inlet and fresh fuel exhaust ports formed therein, said piston being adapted to operate with said cylinder ports and dividing the cylinderinto a combustion and a compression chamber, and means for maintaining the volume of the compression chamber substantially constant after the fuel charge has been delivered from the compression to the combustion chamber through said piston exhaust and cylinder inlet ports. and until all the ports are closed. a

6. A two cycle internal combustion engine comprising. a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports and a separate air inlet port. a sleeve valve located within the cylinder, an engine piston located within the sleeve valve. and an auxiliary piston within the piston. cooperating to open and close the ports.

7. An internal combustion engine comprising, a cylinder, a reciprocating sleeve located in the cylinder. an engine piston located in the sleeve and an auxiliary piston within the engine piston, the cylinder. sleeve and engine piston containing ports adapted to admit a combustible charge between the engine piston and the auxiliary piston, the engine piston. sleeve and cylinder containing ports adapted to admit the combustible charge to the cylinder above the engine piston, the sleeve and cylinder containing ports adapted to exhaust the charge after combustion.

8. An internal combustion engine comprising, a cylinder having an inlet, an exhaust an air inlet and by-pass ports, a sleeve valve Within the cylinder having ports adapted to register with the cylinder ports, an engine piston Within the sleeve valve having ports formed therein and adapted to register with the air inlet, gas inlet and by-pass ports of the sleeve and cylinder, an auxiliary piston within the engine piston and having an air inlet port adapted to register with the air inlet ports of the piston, sleeve and cylinder, and means for reciprocating the auxiliary piston, engine piston and sleeve to operate the engine.

9. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder having a gas inlet port and an auxiliary air inlet port formed therein, an engine piston located Within the cylinder and having a gas inlet port formed therein and cooperating with the cylinder port and an auxiliary piston located Within the engine piston and forming a compression chamber between the head of the engine piston and the auxiliary piston, said auxiliary piston having a port formed therein to communicate with the auxiliary air inlet port of the cylinder to admit air to the compression chamber.

CHARLES S. REINHART.

E. W. MCCALLIST'ER. 

